U.S. patent number 6,834,805 [Application Number 10/050,625] was granted by the patent office on 2004-12-28 for optical scanner with segmented collection mirror.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Symbol Technologies, Inc.. Invention is credited to Edward Barkan, Raj Bridgelall, Harold Charych, Mark Drzymala, Paul Dvorkis, Howard Shepard, David Tsi.
United States Patent |
6,834,805 |
Dvorkis , et al. |
December 28, 2004 |
Optical scanner with segmented collection mirror
Abstract
A multiple working range scanner includes a collection mirror
which is segmented, with each segment having differing optical
properties, such as focal length, optical axis, and so on.
Differing segments or combinations of segments deal with reflected
light received at differing working ranges, and direct it to a
photodetector. In another embodiment, beam shaping may be applied
to an astigmatic laser beam, for example by means of a part-concave
mirror, to create an x waist in the beam which is further from the
scanner than the y waist. This provides enhanced performance when
the scanner is used on a bar code symbol which is not accurately
aligned. In order to provide improved optical alignment within a
bar code scanner, the collection mirror may be adjustable both in
the x direction and in the y direction.
Inventors: |
Dvorkis; Paul (Stony Brook,
NY), Barkan; Edward (Miller Place, NY), Shepard;
Howard (Great River, NY), Tsi; David (Stony Brook,
NY), Drzymala; Mark (Commack, NY), Charych; Harold
(East Setauket, NY), Bridgelall; Raj (Mt. Sinai, NY) |
Assignee: |
Symbol Technologies, Inc.
(Holtsville, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
27557757 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/050,625 |
Filed: |
January 16, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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047011 |
Mar 24, 1998 |
6382513 |
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912147 |
Aug 15, 1997 |
5859417 |
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405585 |
Mar 17, 1995 |
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268982 |
Jun 30, 1994 |
5742038 |
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314519 |
Sep 28, 1994 |
5506392 |
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109021 |
Aug 19, 1993 |
5352922 |
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735573 |
Jul 25, 1991 |
5278397 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
235/462.2;
235/462.23 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K
7/10594 (20130101); G06K 7/10623 (20130101); G06K
7/10633 (20130101); G06K 7/14 (20130101); G06K
7/10801 (20130101); G06K 7/10881 (20130101); G06K
7/10792 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06K
7/14 (20060101); G06K 7/10 (20060101); G06K
007/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;235/467.2,467.21,467.23,467.24,267.08,467.09,467.1,467.11 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
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WO |
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WO 94/01835 |
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Jan 1994 |
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WO |
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Other References
"Quick Check 500" Brochure, Photographic Sciences, 2 pages, 1989.
.
Barkan, Automatic I.D. News, "Author Verifies the Key to Bar
Codying Success", (Nov. 1988). .
Grabowski, et al., "Code Reading Mechanical Scanning Gun", IBM
Technical Bulletin, vol. 5, No. 5 Oct. 1962. .
Yamazaki et al, "New Holographic Technology for a Compact POS
Scanner," Applied Optics, vol. 29, No. 11 (Apr. 1990)..
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Primary Examiner: Frech; Karl D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Watts Hoffmann Co., LPA
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional application of and claims priority
to U.S. application Ser. No. 09/047,011, filed on Mar. 24, 1998,
now U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,513, which is a continuation-in-part
application of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/912,147, filed on Aug.
15, 1997, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,417, which is a
continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/405,585,
filed on Mar. 17, 1995, now abandoned, which is a
continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No.
08/268,982, filed on Jun. 30, 1994, now issued U.S. Pat. No.
5,742,038, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 08/314,519, filed on Sep. 28, 1994, now issued
U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,392, which is a divisional application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 08/109,021, filed on Aug. 19, 1993, now issued
U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,922, which is a divisional application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 07/735,573, filed on Jul. 25, 1991, now issued
U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,397.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An optical scanner for reading indicia by effecting a scanning
motion of a light beam in an x-axis direction across an indicia to
be read, said scanner comprising: (a) a laser for producing an
unmodified light beam of non-circularly-symmetric cross-section,
having an x-axis and a y-axis, beam divergence in the x axis being
greater than beam divergence in the y axis; (b) negative
beam-shaping optics in the outgoing beam path for adjusting the y
axis divergence independently of the x axis divergence.
2. An optical scanner according to claim 1 wherein the beam-shaping
optics comprises a concave part-cylindrical mirror.
3. An optical scanner according to claim 2 wherein said mirror
defines the mirror axis, said mirror axis lying in the x axis
direction.
4. An optical scanner according to claim 1 further comprising
beam-shaping optics in the beam for equally adjusting the x and y
axis divergence.
5. An optical scanner according to claim 1 wherein the laser is a
gain guided.
6. An optical scanner according to claim 1 wherein the laser is an
index guided laser.
7. An optical scanner according to claim 1 wherein the beam has an
x-waist, at which its x axis dimension is least, and a y-waist, at
which its y axis dimension is least, said x waist being located
further from the scanner than the y waist.
8. An optical scanner according to claim 7 wherein the negative
beam-shaping optics adjusts the spacing between the x and y waist
without change in overall magnification.
9. An optical scanner for reading indicia by effecting a scanning
motion of a light beam in an x-axis direction across an indicia to
be read, said scanner comprising: (a) a laser for producing a light
beam of non-circularly-symmetric cross-section, having an x-axis
and a y-axis, beam divergence in the x axis being greater than beam
divergence in the y axis, and wherein the beam has an x-waist, at
which its x axis dimension is least, and a y-waist, at which its y
axis dimension is least, said x waist being located further from
the scanner than the y waist; (b) negative beam-shaping optics in
the beam path for adjusting the y axis divergence independently of
the x axis divergence without change in overall magnification.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to optical scanners, and in
particular in some embodiments to scanners having dual or multiple
working ranges.
Most optical scanners such as bar code scanners are adapted for use
at a particular distance, or a range of distances, from an indicia
to be scanned. If the user holds the scanner too close to the
indicia, or too far away, the indicia and/or the flying spot beam
will not be in focus, and decoding will not be possible.
Such scanners may not be particularly convenient in environments
where a series of indicia to be read are presented to the scanner
at various distances, and where it is difficult or impossible for
the user to alter the distance between the scanner and the indicia.
To deal with such situations, attempts have been made to expand the
acceptable working range of conventional scanners, to give the user
as much leeway as possible, and also to provide multi-distance
scanners which can operate, for example, at a first working range
or at a second working range according to the user's preference or
requirements. One possibility is for the provision of a
two-position switch on the scanner, with the scanner operating at a
first working distance in a first position of the switch and at a
second working distance in a second position. A disadvantage of
such scanners is that they require additional moving parts to
provide for operation at the two separate working ranges. Such
systems are also not "automatic" in the sense that the user has
manually to select the correct working range, according to the
distance of the current indicia to be read; if the incorrect
working range is chosen, a decode will not result.
One of the difficulties that bar code reader designers face when
attempting to produce increased working ranges is that the greater
the working range, and the greater the range of possible indicia
that might be read, the lower tends to be the resultant signal to
noise ratio in light that is reflected from the indicia. One
approach for dealing with this involves the provision of
non-conventional optics, in which the optics associated with either
the laser or with the photodetector have two distinct focal points.
An example of this is shown in US Patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,892,
which is commonly assigned with the present application. In the
device shown in that document, the two focal points are associated
with corresponding circuitry to provide two separate channels of
data derived from the scanned bar code. The two channels have
differing resolutions. As the working angle and density vary, at
least one of the resolutions is likely to be appropriate for
sensing all or most of the bar coded data, regardless of the
distance of the bar code with respect to the scanner and/or the
size or density of the code. The scanning beams of bar code readers
are typically derived from laser diodes. Such diodes are robust and
relatively inexpensive, but they do suffer from the disadvantage
that the beam emerging from a laser diode is astigmatic. The
astigmatic laser diode can be characterised as having two apparent
light sources spaced apart from each other along the optical path.
One of the light sources lies in a horizontal plane, appears to be
coming from inside the laser diode chip, and has a low angular
divergence. The other apparent light source lies in a vertical
plane, appears to be coming from a facet of the chip, and has a
high angular divergence. The two apparent light sources, which are
spaced apart from each other by typically about 20 micrometers,
form two beam waists in different planes and in different
directions, as measured relative to the planar junction of the
chip.
The resultant relatively complex beam profile may need selective
shaping before it can efficiently be used in an optical scanner.
Some methods of providing such beam shaping are described in our
co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/268,982, filed Jun.
30, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,038, the teachings of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
Yet a further option is to provide a multi-focus lens for the
outgoing laser beam, thereby providing that the outgoing laser beam
may be focused on an object in a first predetermined working range
and simultaneously on a second object in a second predetermined
working range. Details are disclosed in our co-pending patent
application Ser. No. 08/829,718 filed Mar. 31, 1997, the contents
of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Where a scanner has several different working ranges, a further
difficulty arises in that reflected light from a bar code at the
far working range will tend to be much weaker than light reflected
from a bar code in the near working range. This makes automatic
gain control of the signal difficult. One approach to this problem
is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,954, to Spencer. Spencer discloses
a retro-reflective arrangement in which common segmented mirrors
are used both for scanning and for the collection of reflected
light. Different segments are coated differently, in an effort to
equalise the returned light intensity.
A further common difficulty with bar code scanners, particularly
with scanners in which the y dimension of the scanning beam is
greater than the x dimension, is that the y dimension can be too
tall close to the scanner, so reducing the ability of the scanner
to read high-density symbols when the symbol is not accurately
aligned. In particular, difficulties can occur when the longer axis
of the beam cross-section is not parallel with the bars and spaces
in the symbol to be read. This problem can be reduced by decreasing
the vertical dimension of the laser aperture, but this can
sometimes be unacceptable since it results in the loss of laser
power.
It is well known that it is advantageous to focus the laser beam,
in a bar code scanner, so that it is taller than it is wide. The
tall spot reduces speckle and paper noise by increasing the overall
spot area, and helps to filter out small printing defects. The
width of the spot, on the other hand, is determined by the
performance requirements of the scanner. The width is normally
chosen so that it is small enough to resolve the smallest elements
in a bar code symbol which the scanner is required to read.
Various means of creating elongate laser spots have been used. One
is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,111 to Eastman. This system orients
the laser so that the laser's astigmatism causes the spot to be
narrower in the direction of spot motion (the x direction) than it
is in the direction perpendicular to the direction of motion (the y
direction). The amount of elipticity of the laser spot, in this
system, is dependent on the amount of astigmatism that the laser
has, and by the magnification of the focusing system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention at least to alleviate the
problems of the prior art.
It is a further object to enhance the performance of scanners
having multiple working ranges.
It is yet a further object to provide a scanner with improved
reading characteristics when the symbol to be read is presented in
an orientation which is not ideal.
It is a further object to reduce the costs of manufacturing a
scanner having parts in accurate optical alignment.
FEATURES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is
provided an optical scanner for reading indicia comprising: (a) a
beam generator and scanner for producing a scanning light beam and
directing said light beam toward an indicia to be read; (b) a light
detector; and (c) a collection mirror for receiving reflected
light, the collection mirror having at least first and second
segments of differing optical properties whereby said first segment
reflects toward the detector light received from an indicia at a
first working range from the scanner and said second segment
reflects toward the detector light received from an indicia at a
second, different, working range.
Such an arrangement improves scanner performance via the collection
mirror which is composed of two or more separate segments. Each
segment preferably has a different optical surface, such as a
difference in focal length, surface orientation, aberration or
surface definition (for example, paraboloid rather than spherical).
At least one segment directs light back to the photodetector from
an indicia which is at a first working distance. At least another
segment directs light back to the photodetector from an indicia
which is at a second working distance. The segments may operate
independently, so that one segment operates only at the first
working distance and the other operates only at the second working
distance. Alternatively, one segment may operate only at the first
working distance, while the second returns light from indicia both
at the first and the second working distances. Alternative
arrangements may be envisaged in which there are more than two
segments.
The segments are preferably contiguous with one another, and may be
integrally molded. In one embodiment, the segments are adjacent to
one another, and in another one segment surrounds the second in a
coaxial fashion.
Maximum signal strength may be achieved, and automatic gain control
simplified, where both mirror segments collect light from an
indicia at a far working distance, but only one of them collects
light from an indicia at a near working distance.
In laser bar code scanners, the size of field of view is critical
to the scanner performance, especially under strong ambient light
conditions. Reducing the field of view angle will typically improve
performance, but optical alignment during manufacture becomes more
difficult and labor intensive.
According to the present invention, this difficulty is solved by
providing the collection mirror with a field of view angle
adjustment, allowing accurate alignment of the mirror with the
other optical components within the scanner. Preferably, the mirror
may be adjusted in angle both in the x and y axis directions.
Ideally, x and y axis translation of the mirror is also
possible.
An adjustable mirror of this type may be used in conjunction with
the optical scanner previously described, or may be used
independently.
A collection mirror of this type having both x axis and y axis
angular adjustment can align the field of view angle of the
receiving optics to the laser beam axis with very high accuracy.
Assuming that the x and y angular adjustments are independent of
each other, the total system field of view angle may typically be
controlled to within about plus or minus 2.degree..
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is
provided an optical scanner for reading indicia by effecting a
scanning motion of a light beam in an x-axis direction across an
indicia to be read, said scanner comprising: (a) a laser for
producing a light beam of non-circularly-symmetric cross-section
having an x-axis and a y-axis, beam divergence in the x axis being
greater than beam divergence in the y axis; (b) negative
beam-shaping optics in the beam for adjusting the y axis divergence
independently of the x axis divergence.
Such an arrangement improves scanner performance, particularly in
the reading of bar code symbols which are not accurately aligned
along the scanning (x) axis. In this invention the laser has been
rotated so that its wider divergence angle is horizontal (in the x
axis direction). the beam height (y) at the laser aperture is quite
small. The vertical (y) dimension of the aperture can therefore be
reduced without sacrificing laser power.
It is also not necessary, in contrast with the prior art such as
the above-mentioned Eastman Patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,111, to use
higher magnification to increase the separation between the x and y
waists in the beam. In the present invention, the spacing between
the waists is controlled not by magnification, but by the negative
optical element in the laser path. Adequate waist separation is
possible even with lower magnification systems.
The negative optical element in the laser path is preferably
cylindrical or part-cylindrical, thereby allowing independent
control of the y-axis dimension of the beam cross-section.
Preferably the optical element comprises a part-cylindrical mirror
having a longitudinal axis which is horizontal (in the x-axis
direction). In the preferred embodiment, the cylindrical element is
molded into a plastic fold mirror. This is a standard element in
most scanning systems in any event, so the invention adds very
little extra cost. There is also no additional loss of optical
output power as would occur if an additional lens were to be added
to the system.
The invention is particularly although not exclusively useful in
connection with index guided lasers, in which astigmatism is
typically rather lower than is the case with gain guided lasers.
Previously, gain guided lasers have been preferred in this type of
application, for the very reason that their astigmatism is
typically higher which results in greater separation between the x
and y waists of the focused beam. This is important because if the
waists were close together, the spot area would be very small near
the waist resulting in a noisy signal in this area. Separating the
waists helps to avoid this.
The present invention opens up this field to the use of index
guided lasers. It further provides simplification, in that
adjustment between the x and y waists may now be achieved without
change in magnification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may be carried into practice in a number of ways and
several specific embodiments will now be described, by way of
example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art scanner;
FIGS. 2a and 2b represent alternative embodiments of the invention
in which the collection mirrors are segmented.
FIGS. 3a and 3b show the collection mirrors of FIGS. 2a and 2b
respectively in more detail:
FIG. 4 illustrates an adjustment mechanism for a collection
mirror;
FIG. 5 identifies the x and y axes to be used throughout this
specification and claims;
FIGS. 6 and 7 show how the beam profile varies in one previously
known scanner; and
FIGS. 8 and 9 show how the beam profile varies in a further
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates schematically one specific variety of optical or
bar code scanner.
A laser diode assembly 10 including a laser diode 12 and
beam-shaping optics 14 creates a shaped laser beam which impinges
upon an oscillating mirror 16, mounted for oscillatory movement
about an axis 18, to create an outgoing scanning beam 20. The
outgoing scanning beam leaves the scanner housing 22 via a window
24, and is directed toward a bar code symbol or other indicia 26 to
be read. The bar code symbol is printed or otherwise attached to a
substrate 28. The scanning beam 20 creates a "flying spot" P which
moves across the substrate and consequently across the bar code to
be read.
Light 30 reflected from the bar code returns via the window 24
where it is collected by a collection mirror 32 and directed toward
a photodetector 34. The photodetector provides an output electrical
signal (not shown) from which the relative width of the bars and
spaces in the code may be determined. From this information, the
bar code symbol may be decoded to recover the information that it
contains.
One disadvantage of this type of bar code scanner is that it has a
limited working range. If the bar codes symbol is positioned too
close to the scanner housing, or too far away, the signal to noise
ratio typically becomes too high and the bar code symbol cannot
easily be decoded.
FIG. 2a illustrates an improvement, embodying the present
invention, to the scanner of FIG. 1. In the arrangement of FIG. 2a
the collection mirror 32 is replaced by a two-section collection
mirror 32', having a first section 29a and a second section 29b.
FIG. 3a shows the collection mirror 32' from the front.
The mirror sections 29a,29b have differing profiles such that an
object P.sub.f placed at a far working distance is imaged by the
section 29a, while an object P.sub.n placed at a near working
distance is imaged by the section 29b. More generally, the section
29a is responsible for objects within a far working range, whereas
the section 29b is responsible for objects within a near working
range.
The mirror segments 29a,29b have differing optical surfaces. They
will typically have differing focal lengths, but they may also or
alternatively have differing surface orientations, aberrations, or
surface definitions (paraboloid instead of spheroidal for
example).
Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2b. Here, the
collection mirror has a coaxial configuration, best seen in FIG.
3b, and includes an inner circular segment 31a and an outer annular
segment 31b. In this embodiment, both of the mirror segments
collect light received from a far object P.sub.f, and direct it
towards the photodetector 34. Since the two segments once again
have differing optical characteristics, for example differing focal
lengths, not all of the light received from P.sub.f will focus at
exactly the same point, but as shown in the drawing, all of it can
be received by the photodetector by virtue of the photodetector's
size. Some of the light received may be focused on one point of the
photodetector, and some on another, but in both cases the
photodetector receives a signal. Light received from a near object
P.sub.n is reflected towards the photodetector solely by the inner
segment 31a. Such an arrangement provides for maximum signal when
the scanner is operated at its far working range. The increase in
signal at the far range due to the segment 31b tends to balance out
the loss of light consequent upon the inverse square law, thereby
allowing easier automatic gain control of the signal at both the
near and the far working ranges.
The segments 31a, 31b may differ by means of focal length, surface
orientation, aberrations or surface definition (paraboloid for
example, rather than spherical).
It will be understood that alternative topologies are possible, in
addition to the arrangements described. Additional segments could
be provided, for example, to allow for multiple working ranges. The
mirror shape may be rectangular or square, rather than circular.
The segments need not be contiguous. Both segments in FIG. 3a could
return light from an object in the far working range, with only one
of them returning light from the near working range. Each of the
segments illustrated in FIG. 3b may return light from only one of
the near working range or the far working range, but not both. The
same concepts may be applied to retro-reflective scanners, in which
the collection mirror is oscillated with a portion of the mirror
serving to reflect the outgoing laser beam, as well as collecting
the incoming reflections. Other configurations will occur to the
skilled man.
In laser bar code scanners the size of the field of view is
critical to scanner performance especially when the scanner is to
be used under strong ambient light conditions. Reducing the field
of view angle improves performance but makes optical alignments of
the various components much more difficult and labor intensive at
the manufacturing stage. The problem can be alleviated by arranging
for the collection mirror to be adjustable in position and/or
angle.
One example of an adjustable collection mirror 32 is given in FIG.
4. The mirror 32 has a rear surface 40, opposite its reflecting
surface 42, to which is attached a mirror mount 44. The mirror is
adjustable in angle, as shown in the arrows 58, by rotation about
the pivot axis 54. Translation of the mirror in the directions
shown by the double-headed arrow 56 is also provided for. To that
end, the mount 44 is secured to a sliding mount 46 which can slide
along a fixed bar 50. A locking nut is provided at 52.
A similar arrangement (not shown) may allow the mirror to rotate
and to be translated in a perpendicular direction from that shown
in FIG. 4. Since both positional and angular adjustments can be
made independently of each other, the total system field of view
angle can be controlled very accurately, typically to within about
plus or minus 2.degree..
It is well known that it is advantageous to focus the laser beam,
in a bar code scanner, so that it is taller than it is wide. The
tall spot reduces speckle and paper noise by increasing the overall
spot area, and helps to filter out small printing defects. The
width of the spot, on the other hand, is determined by the
performance requirements of the scanner. The width is typically
chosen so that it is small enough to resolve the smallest elements
in a bar code symbol which the scanner is required to read. Before
discussing a further embodiment having an improved beam profile,
reference should first be made to FIG. 5 which illustrates the
terminology that will be used.
FIG. 5 shows a front view of a typical bar code symbol 60 on a
substrate 62. The x and y axes, to be referred to below, are
defined as shown, with the x axis extending longitudinally of the
bar code, and the y axis generally parallel to the lines. More
generally, the x axis is defined as the direction parallel to which
the bar code symbol is scanned, for example parallel to the
direction of motion of a "flying spot". When a two-dimensional bar
code or other indicia is to be captured, scanning may be carried
out by means of a raster pattern over the indicia comprising a
plurality of parallel scan lines in the x direction, the lines
being spaced apart from one another in the y direction.
Similar x and y axes may be applied to the outgoing laser beam both
before and after it has impinged upon the oscillating mirror or
other scanning element. Of course, since the outgoing laser beam
may be reflected and bent several times before it leaves the
scanner, the x axis, applied to the cross-section of the beam, will
not necessarily be coincident in direction with the x axis shown in
FIG. 5. Nevertheless, the x axis when applied to the beam
cross-section can be defined, at any point, as that axis which
will, after all appropriate reflections have been completed, map
onto the x axis shown in FIG. 5 when the beam impinges upon the
indicia to be read. A similar rule applies to the y axis.
With those definitions in mind, we can now turn to FIGS. 6 and 7
which illustrate a prior art scanner which incorporates beam
shaping. The scanner includes a laser diode assembly 100 having a
laser diode 102 and beam shaping optics 104. The laser diode 102 is
a gain guided laser having high astigmatism so that the beam fans
out much more in one direction than in the other. In the device
shown, the laser is aligned so that the beam fans out in the y
direction. The beam shaping optics 104 includes a cylindrical
element to shape the beam. The shaped beam 106 is reflected from a
planar fold mirror 108, and the resultant reflected beam 110 is
then further reflected from a scanning mirror 112 to produce a
scanning outgoing beam 114. This leaves the scanner housing (not
shown) via a window 116.
FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the beam profile on the far side
of the window 116. The upper traces represent the beam width in the
x direction, at various distances from the window, and the lower
traces the y width. As may be seen, the beam has an x waist W.sub.x
at a relatively close distance d.sub.n, and has a y waist W.sub.y
at a further distance d.sub.f.
Such an arrangement has one drawback, in that the y dimension of
the beam can be too tall close to the scanner, reducing the ability
of the scanner to read high density symbols when the scan line
(which is normally in the x direction) is not exactly perpendicular
to the bars and spaces in the symbol. This problem can be reduced
by decreasing the vertical dimension of the laser aperture, within
the optical assembly 104, but this also reduces the laser power.
Sometimes, the loss of laser power may be unacceptable.
A new approach is shown in the embodiment of FIG. 8. Here, a laser
diode assembly 100' includes a laser diode 102' and an optical
assembly 104'. The laser 102' is astigmatic, and may be either a
gain guided laser or an index guided laser. The laser is positioned
so that the unmodified beam tends to fan out in the x direction (in
other words, the laser is rotated through 90.degree. from that
shown in FIG. 6).
In this embodiment, the laser optics 104' need not incorporate any
cylindrical optical elements. Instead, a naturally flattened beam
106' impinges upon a stationary fold mirror 108', from which it is
reflected at 110' toward the scanning mirror 112'. The fold mirror
108' is part-cylindrical and acts as a negative (concave)
cylindrical optical element in the laser path. The cylinder's axis
is in the x direction, parallel to the wide divergence angle of the
laser.
Such an arrangement modifies the outgoing scanning laser beam 114'
so that, on the far side of the scanner window 116', it is shaped
as shown in FIG. 9. The negative optical element 108' moves the y
waist W'.sub.y closer to the scanner, separating it from the x
waist W'.sub.x which is further out. Such an arrangement largely
eliminates the problem of limited roll tolerance that results from
a laser spot that is too tall close to the scanner. When the laser
is rotated so that its wider divergence lies along the x axis, the
beam height at the laser aperture is quite short. The vertical
dimension (the y axis) of the aperture can therefore be reduced
without sacrificing laser power.
In alternative arrangements, the fold mirror 108' could be replaced
with any other appropriate means for introducing a negative
non-rotationally symmetric optical element into the laser's path.
For example, the scanning mirror 112' could be part-concave;
alternatively, a negative cylindrical lens or other optical element
could form part of the optical assembly 104'. A similar effect
could be achieved by means of one or more holographic optical
elements.
It will be appreciated of course that any two or more of the
features described in the various embodiments may be combined, as
desired, within a single scanner. For example, the adjustable
collection mirror illustrated in FIG. 4 could be used in
conjunction with the arrangements of FIG. 2, or even with the
otherwise lone arrangement of FIG. 1. All of the concepts are
applicable for use in "staring type" scanners, in which the
collection mirror is stationary, and in "retro-reflective"
scanners, in which the collection mirror itself oscillates and acts
not only to collect the received light but also acts as the
scanning element.
While the invention has been illustrated as described with
reference to a number of particular embodiments, it is not intended
to be limited to any of the details shown, since various
modifications and structural changes may be made without departing
in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the
gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current
knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without
omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly
constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific
aspects of this invention. Accordingly, such adaptations should be
and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of
equivalence of the following claims.
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